


The Birds Chained to the Sky

by sarath595



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-22
Updated: 2013-06-22
Packaged: 2017-12-15 18:00:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/852420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarath595/pseuds/sarath595
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean's never told anyone what he did in California those four months he went missing. It's hard for him to admit it to himself. The only person that knows the truth is the man who saved him - Castiel. But Dean hasn't seen Castiel since he left California.</p><p>Castiel made a deal with his father - save Dean Winchester and I'll bring Anna home. But how can he convince Anna to return to home when he's not even sure he wants to be there himself?</p><p>Cas and Dean have an unexpected reunion, but nothing is as easy as they thought. Especially not when the Winchesters get pulled into the drama of the Milton family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Birds Chained to the Sky

### 

Chapter One - All Those Years, All Those Lies

"We can't buy this house," Dean said, ascending the stairs of the small three-story home he and Jo had spent the last thirty minutes touring.

"Why not?" she asked. She waited for him at the top of the steps, hands on her hips. "I swear, Dean, if you say it's because the garage isn't worthy to house your Impala -"

"No!" Dean cut her off as he reached the top of the steps. He gestured down the stairs at the low overhang where the floor of the first story became the ceiling of the basement. "Look at that. I nearly hit my head both times I was on those stairs. Sammy's gonna bump his head all the time." Dean looked pointedly at Jo. "This house is too small for Sam." Maybe tiny Jo couldn't see it now, but as soon as Dean's moose of a brother entered the house, Jo would realize that Dean was right.

"So? You'll just have to kiss Sam's boo-boos for him." she spun on her heel with a grin, her mind made up. 

Dean groaned. Ever since they were children, playing in Bobby's junkyard of cars, Jo had gotten exactly what she wanted. One she made up her mind, that was that. Any argument Dean or anyone else made was invalid. He had to admit to himself that the house was nice - the perfect size for him, Sam, Jo, and Chuck to live comfortably. And the price was good, too. He looked around the small room he stood in, trying to picture it with all of their furniture moved inside. The sooner he got used to the idea of living in this house, the better. As far as Jo was concerned, he didn't have any say in the matter.

-:-:-:-

Moving in was hell.

From the second they opened the moving van, Jo was shouting directions at everyone, ordering people to carry in furniture and boxes, and telling them exactly where to put it. Dean would have been significantly more pissed if Jo hadn't been doing her own share of heavy lifting.

Sam and Dean were carrying the couch inside when she hurried past with boxes marked 'Kitchen' in black Sharpie. Then, when they'd maneuvered the couch part way through the door, Chuck showed up with what he claimed was a Very Important Box and insisted on crawling over the couch to get into the house because he couldn't wait until they'd finished moving it.

"What the hell is so important about that box?" Dean asked as Chuck clambered over the arm of the couch, pushing the large box before him.

"It's just...stuff."

"Love letters?" Gabriel guessed. He was Sam's friend, and honestly, Dean could barely stand the guy most of the time. Like right now. Sam had asked Gabriel to help them move in, and what was Gabriel doing? Sitting on a box in their soon-to-be living room eating twizzlers. He hadn't lifted a single finger since he'd arrived. "Or," Gabriel continued, his eyebrows rising, "is it full of sex toys?"

Chuck turned a violent shade of red and shoved the box forward. "No!"

"Come on," Jo said, joining in the teasing. "What's in there that you can't tell us about?"

"N-nothing."

Dean rolled his eyes. All he wanted was to get this damn couch inside the damn house and then start moving the beds in before Jo bit his head off. He could care less about Chuck's Box of Mystery.

Once he was inside the door, Chuck grabbed the box and started to rise off the couch. His grip must not have been very good, or else he was really flustered from the conversation, because the next thing Dean knew the box was toppling out of Chuck's hands and bursting open on the floor. Piles of books tumbled out, most of them with dark-colored covers depicting two buff men. Gabriel lunged forward and grabbed one of the slim paperbacks. Dean noticed there were multiples of some of the books, and some of the covers were marked with 'ARC,' whatever that meant.

"Supernatural?" Gabriel read aloud from the cover. "By Carver Edlund." He flipped open the cover and started to read.

"No, don't-!" Chuck tried to grab the book out of Gabriel's hands, but Gabriel moved before he could, standing on top of the box he'd been sitting on and holding the book high in the air. By this time, Jo and Sam were inspecting the books, sifting through the pile. Dean flopped onto the couch, figuring that if the others were going to get distracted and stop working, he might as well squeeze a nap in.

"Oooh, listen to this!" Gabriel exclaimed, then proceeded to read aloud from the book. "'Sam Winchester often wondered what his life would have been like if his mother hadn't died in that house fire when he was six months old.'"

"What?!" Sam shot to his feet, joining Gabriel. "Give me that." Dean's eyes popped open, suddenly alert. Why was there a book about his brother? But no - it couldn't be about him. Their mom was still alive. The only thing that house fire had killed was their parent's marriage.

"Wait, it gets better!" Gabriel was holding the book even higher, trying with all his might to keep it away from gigantor Sam. "'He would always be jealous of Dean for the four years he'd had with their mother. But he was never as jealous of Dean as he was of other people, people who were blissfully unaware that the world around them was filled with ghosts, monsters, and demons. Sam and Dean had grown up knowing this, but only Sam had ever tried to escape and forget.'"

Dean jumped off the couch. "What the hell kind of book is this?" Because if someone was writing about Sam, well, that was kind of funny, but _Dean_? No.

Chuck shrank back against the wall. "They're nothing, I mean, it was just a silly little thing, and then - I mean, I never thought they'd get published."

" _What_?" Dean was right up in Chuck's blanched face, but he didn't care. How long had this been going on? " _You_ wrote these?" Chuck had no right to go writing about him and Sammy's personal life.

Chuck swallowed hard. "Um...yeah."

Jo was holding a novel with a barren tree on the cover, and the same two men that were on all the other books - himself and Sam, Dean now realized. "Chuck, are we _all_ in here?"

"Well..." he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah."

"How many are there?"

"Eight?" Chuck admitted, wincing.

"So _that's_ where you get money," Sam said. "I always wondered." Sam had picked up a couple of the books himself, and was busy reading the back covers. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I thought you'd be angry."

"Damn right we're angry!" Dean shouted. "How much of our personal lives did you put in here? Sam, we can sue him for this, right?" He glanced over at Sam, but his little brother was engrossed in one of the books. "Sam?"

"Huh?" Sam closed the book, looking back and forth between Dean and Chuck. "Why would we? I mean...it's kind of flattering, you have to admit."

Dean sighed in frustration, running a hand through his short hair. "Am I the only one who has a problem with this?" Because apparently, being _flattered_ was more important than having your personal information released to the world.

"Dean, it's not like anyone's going to know it's us," Sam reasoned. "I mean, this is _paranormal fiction_. Ghosts aren't real, so why should the reader think the characters are?" With a shrug, he flipped the book open again.

"Okay." Dean drew in a deep breath, trying to calm himself, then turned to Chuck. "So how much did you write about?"

Chuck shrugged. "Everything, I guess. I mean, I made some changes, but the big things are still there - Sam's drug addiction, the four months you went missing. Except in the books, Sam was addicted to demon blood and you were in hell."

 _Damn straight I was in hell_ , Dean thought, more than a little creeped out at how close Chuck was to the truth. Officially, Dean had left home a year ago to spend some time in California, gotten lost, and eventually returned home. There were very few people that knew the truth, and only one that Dean cared about - Castiel. When Dean had felt so broken-down and hopeless, Cas had flown into his life and convinced him that there was still hope, and that he should return to his family. He still didn't know how Castiel had done it, but somehow he'd pulled some ropes and gotten Dean out of the enormous trouble he'd been in. Dean hadn't seen Cas since then, but he desperately wanted to. He'd never had the chance to thank Castiel for saving him.

Even Sam didn't know the whole truth. Whenever Dean got close to telling him, he pictured how horrified Sam would be. It was better that no one know the truth, and that everyone referred to the time he'd been away as "When Dean was Lost." Lost. Yeah, that was pretty accurate. Lost had been one of the many things he'd felt in California, along with hopeless, terrified, and other emotions he didn't dare name.

When he'd come home, Mom and Bobby had been over the moon. Mom had cried when she saw Dean's face, and spent the next four days stuffing him full of fresh-baked pies. Sam had taken a week off school to see Dean, and even their biological father, John Winchester, had driven from Minnesota to South Dakota to see him. Dean would have preferred he didn't - John was an ass, and Bobby had always been a much better father to him. John had his own family in Minnesota - he didn't need Dean, and he didn't need Sam, and they certainly didn't need him. All of his visits ending with someone getting hurt. Once, a few years ago, he'd somehow managed to talk the boys into taking a road trip with him, but it had been cut short when a semi slammed into their car. Dean had spent weeks in the hospital, and sometimes his leg still ached where broken bones hadn't quite mended properly.

Sam had been a little different the first time Dean had seen him again, and it didn't take long to figure out why - Sam was doing drugs. And Dean was 98% sure his girlfriend Ruby was the one that had talked him into it. Of course, Sam didn't know Dean knew, not until he OD'd over spring break and landed in the hospital. Dean had been as supportive as he could while Sam recovered from his addiction. Even now, Dean knew it was hard for him, but it helped having so many people around that cared about him.

Dean glanced at his friends, now all engrossed in one of Chuck's books or another. Okay, so it was kind of annoying that Chuck hadn't told them. But at least he cared enough to write about them. In his own weird little way, Chuck was saying he loved them. And maybe Dean could live with that.

-:-:-:-

By the time they'd finished moving everything inside, it was nearly dark and there was a steady drizzle outside. The furniture was moved more or less where they wanted it, and everyone had beds set up in their respective rooms. Chuck, as a sort of peace offering, ran out to grab some pizzas and beer. It wasn't long until they were all full, slightly buzzed, and singing along to the radio.

Around midnight, Jo slunk downstairs to her bedroom, claiming she needed her beauty sleep, then Chuck retreated to his little room in the attic. Stretching, Gabriel announced it was time for him to go. "You can't drive in that," Sam argued, peering out the kitchen window. Rain was coming down in sheets now. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and wind buffeted the house. Gabriel shivered. "Why don't you just stay the night?" Sam suggested. "I'll grab some blankets and you can sleep on the couch." He smiled at Gabe, that small, quick little smile that a stranger might think wasn't earnest. But Gabriel knew better. He'd known Sam nearly a year now. They'd met just around the time Dean had gone missing, and spent more than one night getting drunk together and sleeping off mutual hangovers in either Gabe's apartment or Sam's.

Back in those days, just before Sam had met Ruby and started trying every drug she pushed at him, Gabe had given Sam some not-so-sound advice. Every night when they went out to a bar, after Sam had a couple of drinks, he would launch into a monologue about how worried he was about Dean, how he hoped he was okay, and goddammit, why wasn't he calling? Once, tired of Sam's rant, Gabriel had said, "Look, kid, take it from someone who knows - brothers aren't all that great. They're stupid and self-absorbed, and all they're gonna do is hurt you in the end. You're better off forgetting Dean, no matter what you have to do to accomplish that." In a way, Gabriel felt responsible for Sam's drug addiction - he'd only started using after that conversation. But Gabe still stood by what he said - brothers weren't worth the time or the energy.

Sam re-appeared with a couple of blankets in his arms. "Thanks," Gabriel mumbled. It wasn't that he didn't want to stay - boy, did he want to - but the couch? Weren't they closer than that? What about all those nights they'd passed out on Gabe's bed and woken up with their limbs tangled together, mumbling excuses about alcohol? It had been fine then, but now that a couch was readily available, it seemed that Sammy wasn't keen on sharing.

A clap of thunder made Gabriel jump. Lightning flashed in the windows, illuminating the dark living room for a brief second. Gabe could just make out Dean's form, huddled on the couch. "Guess he didn't make it back to his room."

"Uh..." Sam set the blankets on the table. "Yeah, guess not." Gabe looked up at Sam, waiting for him to offer...

The wind whipped up again, howling against the sides of the house, screaming like the ghosts of Gabriel's past. He squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for it to be over. It always ended. He had to remember that. No matter how much they screamed, no matter how much they fought, it always ended and Gabe always had a chance to run. When he opened his eyes, he saw Sam's eyebrows creased with concern. "I hate storms," Gabe explained. He shivered dramatically. "Nightmares."

Sam swallowed hard. "Yeah." He looked around the room, at anywhere but Gabe's eyes, as he spoke. "Hey, why don't you just come and sleep with me? It's not like it's something we've never done before, right?" Right. Gabriel tried hard to keep a smile off his face. He was grateful Sam wasn't looking, because he was sure it ended up looking a lot more like a smirk than anything else. "I'll keep you safe from the nightmares," Sam joked. "After all, I hunt ghosts all the time."

Gabe didn't hide his smile this time, letting Sam's eyes lock onto his own. "Whatever you say, Samzilla."

-:-:-:-

Gabe woke in morning sandwiched between the wall and Sam's gigantic body. One arm was draped over Sam's waist, the fingers grazing his stomach. He smiled to himself as Sam snuggled morning. "Morning," Sam said, his voice still husky from sleep. Were they going to play the same old game, pressed up close in sleep, but quickly pulling away as soon as they were both awake? Just in case, Gabe pressed his hand against Sam's belly, drew him closer.

"Morning," he returned. Sam started to move, and for one heart-wrenching second, Gabe was afraid he was pulling away. But then Sam's face was right there in front of his own, smiling sleepily. Gabe vaguely recalled clutching at Sam's shirt during the night as the thunder rolled and the wind howled ever more fiercely. Sam had talked to him, whispered in his ear...Gabe wondered briefly if he should feel embarrassed for having let Sam see that side of him.

"Any nightmares?" Gabe shook his head. "Good." Sam dipped his head, planted a kiss on Gabe's forehead.

"Sammy, you're going to have to do better than that." He gripped the front of Sam's shirt so he couldn't run away and planted his lips against the larger man's. A thrill went through him as Sam kissed back. Finally, after a year of waiting, the day was here. Sam was his.

-:-:-:-

Half an hour later, their make-out session was interrupted by Gabe's cell phone singing out the opening lines of "I Want Candy." Gabe tumbled off the bed and found the phone discarded near a box labeled 'College Stuff.' The screen read 'Anna Milton.' With a look of apology at Sam, he flipped the phone open.

"Gabe?" His sister's voice sounded slightly scared. It had been months since he'd spoken to her, years since he'd seen her in person.

"What's wrong?" Gabe asked, sitting up straight.

"I need you to talk me out of it. Going home." On the other end, Gabe could hear Anna sigh. "I don't understand how you do it, how you've stayed away for all these years."

"Whenever I think about going back," Gabe told her, "I just remind myself why I left in the first place." Gabe had left his family ages ago, long before Daddy dearest had disowned Lucifer and Michael had become the golden son once again. Anna had left home more recently, only about two years ago. The house must seem so empty now, with only Michael and Castiel left there. Michael would stay there forever, but Gabe felt it was only a matter of time before Cas ran away, too. As soon as he figured out that place was bad for him, he would leave. At least, that was Gabe's hope.

"Anna, why don't you come stay with me a while?" Gabriel suggested. It had been ages since he'd seen his baby sister, and besides, he wanted to show off his new boyfriend - or whatever they were.

There was silence for a few long seconds. "I don't - I don't know." She sighed. "But I guess if I had to choose one person to see again, it would be you. I trust you. I - I know you won't manipulate me like the others." Gabe shifted uncomfortably, his fingers absently touching the golden charm he wore around his wrist. Manipulation - that was a good word for it. That might have been Anna's reason for leaving, but Gabe - he'd left to avoid having to choose a side. That was the it always was with the Miltons - you either sided with Michael, or you sided with Lucifer. And whatever you chose, you were still under father's influence.

It took a few minutes to work out the tentative details of Anna's visit - she'd come next week, stay for however long she needed, and Gabriel would take a few days off work to spend time with her. When he finally hung up the phone, Sam was looking at him quizzically. "My sister," he said.

"You don't talk about your family much." Sam leaned forward to touch the charm Gabe was still fiddling with. Father had made one charm for each of his children, all of them identical. A small, solid gold set of wings. Gabe wore his on a bracelet, and so did Michael, last he'd heard, but Castiel and Anna had always worn theirs around their necks. Lucifer had worn his wings on a bracelet as well, but father had taken them away when Lucifer was disowned.

Gabe sighed. "Yeah. There's a reason for that." He smelled pancakes cooking in the kitchen and tugged on Sam's hand. "Come on. _Food_." Sam laughed, letting Gabriel pull him out of the room and into the kitchen.

The look on Dean's face when they showed up, hands clasped together, was priceless.

-:-:-:-

"We had a deal, Castiel." Zachariah laced his hands together and set them on the table, staring across the room at his son. "I helped your little friend, and now it's time for you to hold up your end of the bargain."

Castiel looked down at the floor. He'd been waiting for this for a while, for the time when Father would call in a favor. This was the price he paid for asking that Dean Winchester be saved. 

Zachariah produced a thin folder and slid it across the table towards Castiel. "This is all the information I have on Anna. Where she's living, who she spends her time with, anything you might need to know. You have my permission to do whatever necessary to bring her home."

He tried not to look at the file. He didn't need it. Father didn't know, but Castiel had Anna's phone number, for the same reason as he had Gabriel and Lucifer's - just in case. Gabriel's number, father might forgive him for, but Lucifer's? Never. And Michael...Michael would be furious if he knew. He didn't plan on ever needing Lucifer's number, but it was nice knowing it was there.

"I want you to leave as soon as possible," Zachariah said. "Is that clear?"

Castiel drew in a deep breath. Would he ever be able to rebel as his siblings had? To look Father in the face and tell him No? Even if he did ever manage to leave home, to leave Father, he didn't know what he would do. His first thought was to find Dean Winchester, but he knew without his father's resources that would be nearly impossible. And what was the point in leaving if he had nothing to run to?

"Yes, Father," Castiel said, picking up the folder. "I promise I'll bring Anna home."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks a lot for reading! This is the first fic I've ever written, so I'd really appreciate any comments/constructive criticism.


End file.
